WA: Over 1,000 Signatures on Petition to End Felonies for Personal Cannabis Possession

A Change.org petition calling on Washington State’s lawmakers to end felonies for personal cannabis possession has received over 1,000 signatures in just a 10-day period.

“In Washington the possession of up to 28 grams of cannabis is legal for those 21 and older, due to the passage of Initiative 502 in 2012”, states the petition. “However, the possession of just 50% more than this – anything over 40 grams – is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.”

Due to this, the petition and those signing it are calling on lawmakers in the state to “pass legislation that would amend the law in order to remove the potential of a felony charge for the personal possession of cannabis”.

Every signature on the petition results in an e-mail being sent to every member of Washington’s Legislature, as well as Governor Jay Inslee, urging them to make a change.

The petition ends by stating; “If a substance is legal, no one should receive a felony conviction for possessing it.”

Anthony Martinelli

Anthony is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheJointBlog. He has worked closely with numerous elected officials who support cannabis law reform, including as the former Campaign Manager for King County (WA) Councilmember Dave Upthegrove. He has been published by multiple media outlets, and is a former contributor for Village Voice Media.